Tears like Rain
by yamiKistune
Summary: There is a bad accident and Shuichi looses his family. How can he cope and what will Eiri do to comfort him? EiriShuichi, RyuichiTatsuha, HiroSuguru Will update after 3 reviews
1. Prologue: Tears

Author: Saya Gravitation (after the manga finishes)

Warnings: bad language, angst, shonen ai, later yaoi (Well it is Gravitation!)

Pairings: Eiri/Shuichi, Ryuichi/Tatsuha, Hiro/Suguru, Maiko/Class President Guy who doesn't have a name

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this, they belong to Murakami Maki-san

Author's Note: English is not my native tongue. If there are errors people tell me and I will fix them. My beta reader's computer broke so she couldn't read this chapter. The rest will be beta read. Please review!

Prologue: Tears

It was a rough day for Bad Luck. They had to have three singles by the end of the month. So far they only had two. As usual, Shuichi was goofing off, K was waving his gun around and threatening Shuichi, Hiro was trying to stop it all and Suguru was ignoring them. All was fine until there was a knock on the door.

Suguru opened the door revealing a somber Seguchi Tohma. "Shindou-kun, I have some bad new for you." Tohma stated. Everyone went silent.

"W-what is it?" Shuichi stuttered.

" I just got a call from the hospital. Apparently your family was in a car crash." Shuichi began to tremble and Hiro gasped.

" A-are they a-alright?" Hiro asked for his stunned friend. Tohma averted his eyes. "His father was killed instantly and his mother died in the hospital soon after."

Shuichi let out a strangled sob. "What about Maiko-chan?" he asked through his tears.

"She's alive but hasn't woken up yet. The hospital needs you to come as you as you are her legal guardian now." Tohma explained. He paused, "I'm very sorry."

Shuichi began to sob. Hiro hugged him and tried to calm him down. "Shuichi, I'll take you to see Maiko-chan right now. You just need to calm down." He said in a soothing voice.

"But they're gone… Mom and Dad are gone…" Shuichi cried, "And I can't take care of Maiko-chan. I don't know how!"

"Shuichi! Listen to me. You and Maiko-chan will be just fine. We'll find someone to take care of her. Maybe your cousin Hotaru-san take care of her? She lives by the school." Hiro suggested.

That made the magenta haired singer stop crying. "Really?" he asked.

"Really. So don't worry. Now let me drive you to the hospital."

TBC (After three reviews)


	2. Chapter One: Burdens

Author: Saya

Hits: 136

Author: Saya Gravitation (after the manga finishes)

Warnings: bad language, angst, shonen ai, later yaoi (Well it is Gravitation!)

Pairings: Eiri/Shuichi, Ryuichi/Tatsuha, Hiro/Suguru, Maiko/Class President Guy who doesn't have a name

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this, they belong to Murakami Maki-san

Author's Note: Maiko-chan will be younger in this fan fic. (Thanks to ashcat for mentioning her age) English is not my native tongue. If there are errors people tell me and I will fix them. Thanks to my beta Asuka-chan! Please review!

Chapter One: Burdens

Hiro stopped his bike in front of the hospital. "Go find out where Maiko-chan is." Hiro urged, "I'll put your helmet away." Shuichi handed the red head his helmet and ran into the hospital. "Thanks Hiro!" he called right before the doors shut. Hiro stowed the helmets then followed Shuichi inside.

At the front desk, Shuichi was franticly inquiring about his sister's whereabouts. "Shindou Maiko. She was in a car crash just an hour or so ago. I got a call that said to come in!" Shuichi quickly said.

"Are you Shindou Shuichi?" the nurse asked.

"Yes."

"She's in room 732."

"Thank you so much!"

Just as he was about to dash off, Shuichi saw Hiro. "Did you get the number?" the guitarist asked.

"732. Come on!" Shuichi replied. He grabbed his friend's wrist and dragged him to the elevator.

Maiko was unconscious when the two got to her room. Her right leg had a cast on it, as did her right arm. There was a bandage over her forehead and a bruise on her left cheek. "Maiko-chan." Shuichi breathed as he slumped into one of two hard, plastic hospital chairs. Hiro sat down next to him. "Is she going to be ok Hiro?" Shuichi whispered. Tears were streaming down his face as he reached out and took Maiko's hand. "She can't leave me too…"

Hiro wrapped an around his best friend's waist and hugged him. "She'll be alright Shu-chan. She doesn't look like she was hurt all that bad." He comforted.

"She will be fine as soon as she wakes up." Inserted a new voice.

The pair turned to find a female doctor next to them. "I'm Maiko-san's doctor, Fujiwara Kumiko." The doctor explained.

"This is Shindou Shuichi, Maiko-chan's brother. I'm the emotional support. Nakano Hiroshi." Hiro said for a distraught Shuichi.

"I thought so. You two are very popular in Japan right now." Fujiwara replied with a slight smile.

"How bad was she hurt?" Shuichi asked, "Do you know what happened?"

The doctor nodded. "Her leg is broken in two places and her arm is broken as well. She got them from her side being hit by the impact. There's a gash on her forehead. Other then that she just has a couple bruises." Fujiwara explained, "Her leg should heal in about two months and her arm in one. She will be fine when she wakes up."

Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you Fujiwara-san." Hiro said with a sad smile.

"Do you want to know how the crash happened?" Fujiwara asked. The singer nodded.

"Your family was driving somewhere this morning when a drunk driver hit the side of their car. Your father probably didn't feel a thing as he was on the side the car hit. The car hit the side of a building. Your mother and your sister were taken to the hospital. Your mother had been hurt by the impact when the car hit the wall. Maiko-san was apparently sitting in the middle seat in the back. She was hit on her right side by the impact of the car into there's and probably got cut by broken glass."

Besides Hiro, Shuichi sobbed quietly, his body shaking. "Maiko-chan." He whispered The limp hand in his twitched. "Don't cry Shuichi-oniisan." Maiko croaked, her throat dry.

"Maiko!" Shuichi exclaimed in shock.

"How are you feeling?" Hiro asked.

"Hurt." Maiko answered. All of a sudden she sat up, "Are mom and dad alright!" she added.

That made Shuichi start crying again and Hiro to find the floor very interesting. Neither of them wanted to break the bad news.

"They didn't make it Shindou-san." Fujiwara finally stated.

The news hit Maiko hard. She slumped against her pillow, tears shining in her eyes. "No." she whispered, "That can't be true. This has to be a dream."

"I wish it was." Fujiwara replied, "Your brother is now your guardian. Call a nurse if you need one. I'll leave you in peace." With that the doctor left.

Maiko began to silently weep. "What's gonna happen to me? Shu-chan can't take care of me. He has work." She asked.

"Hiro said that cousin Hotaru might be able to." Shuichi suggested, "Or maybe Aunt Toru."

"Maybe…" Maiko said with a sniff.

"You'll both be fine Maiko-chan." Hiro said. He leaned over and wiped the tears off her face. "You'll be fine."

"Thanks Hiro-san."

"No problem. I'm here to help."

A nurse came into check on Maiko. The boys got shooed out into the hallway. Shuichi was still depressed and crying so Hiro tried to cheer him up. "While we're waiting Shu, why don't we get something to eat? We haven't eaten lunch yet." He suggested.

"Alright…" Shuichi agreed.

The two of them walked down the hall until they came to a vending machine. Hiro bought Shuichi some pocky and a soda then a coke for himself. When they got back to Maiko's room, the nurse was gone and Maiko was sitting up. Her face was cheerless and she stared at the blanket over her. "Maiko-chan…" Shuichi said, "Did the nurse say you're alright?"

"Yah. They'll let me go…home…tomorrow." Maiko answered in a monotone, "Except home won't be home anymore."

"Don't say that! You'll get to go wherever you want. Summer break is almost over and you'll be back in college. And you can come over to Yuki and my apartment any time…" Shuichi tried not to think about his parent's deaths.

"I know. But…"

"We'll be fine."

"Alright…"

After calling his cousin Hotaru, Shuichi continued to stay with Maiko and Hiro. Fujiwara came in just before visiting hours were over to tell Shuichi that Maiko could leave the next afternoon. The singer was half asleep as Hiro drove him home. The redhead ended up having to carrying him when they got there.

Eiri raised an eyebrow when he opened the door. "Aren't you two supposed to be at work?" he asked suspiciously.

Hiro nodded. "There was an accident." He supplied as he walked in and set his friend down on the couch.

"What happened?" the writer inquired curiously. Shuichi didn't look injured. There were wet trails that his tears had left behind, but nothing unusual.

"His parents and sister got in a car crash." Hiro explained, "Only Maiko-chan made it… Shu's really upset. "

The writer grimaced. "I'll be he is..."

" Don't hurt him Yuki-san. I don't think he can take much more." Hiro cautioned as he walked past the author, showing himself out.

When the door clicked shut, Eiri sat down on the couch and pulled Shuichi's head into his lap. "Gomen… I know what it's like to loose your parents." He murmured. Shuichi curled up, moving close to the warmth Eiri's body radiated. "Eiri…." He mumbled.

'He even thinks of me when he sleeps…' Eiri thought. He grabbed a book and a blanket, which he draped over Shuichi's sleeping form. Opening the book, Eiri began to read.

A couple hours later, Shuichi woke up confused. "How'd I get here?" he wondered aloud. He shifted, noticing that there was a heavy weight on him. Squinting in the darkened room, Shuichi managed to make out Eiri's form resting on him. The author still had his glasses on and a book lay open on his chest. Shuichi smiled. Eiri always looked so peaceful when he slept. The sight made Shuichi forget about the tragedy that had emerged in his life just for a bit…

Once done staring at the blonde, Shuichi curled back up and pondered Maiko's current situation. Hotaru had said she would be able to take care of Maiko for the next two weeks, when the fall term began. At least that was taken care of.

The wake for his parents would happen. He and Maiko would have to get gifts for the people who came. The funeral would probably be the next day. Then they would have to put the bones of his parents into separate urns using chopsticks. Shuichi shivered at the thought of having to indirectly touch his parent's bones. There also would be a memorial service forty-nine days from today.

He wasn't fond of funerals and neither was Maiko. Both had been to their grandparent's funerals, which were very depressing. Neither Shuichi nor Maiko thought they would have to be able to cope with their parent's deaths decades before his parents would have died of old age. No one thought it would happen. It was an unfortunate event in their life.

On top of Shuichi, Eiri woke up. "What the…" he mumbled. Then he remembered what had happened, Hiro coming over with Shuichi and telling him about the boy's parents' deaths. "Shu-chan?" he said softly.

"You're awake?" Shuichi replied from beneath him. "You were asleep when I woke up…"

"Hai… Nakano brought you home. He told me what happened…" Eiri remarked in a sad voice. Memories of his deceased mother flew through his head. Blonde hair and golden eyed, just like him. She was the gaijin daughter of another priest who had arranged for her to marry Eiri's father. However, a year after Tatsuha was born, she died of pneumonia, leaving the Uesugi family to slowly deteriorate.

Eiri was snapped out of his musings by Shuichi's voice. "What are you thinking about? You look sad." The pink haired singer asked.

"Nothing… Just thinking." Eiri replied. Masking his emotions with his icy façade, Eiri smiled slightly at his lover.

"You're lying." Shuichi stated bluntly.

"I'm avoiding the topic. Not lying. I was thinking anyway." Eiri responded quickly.

Shuichi sighed. "That's not the point. You were thinking of something sad. What was it? Kitzawa? Seguchi? Your father?" he guessed.

Eiri flinched at the last guess. "No…" he said softly… No one specifically." With that, the subject was dropped and the silence returned.

TBC

(As usual after 3 reviews. I might make to five though. )

Author's Note #2: If you want to know more about Japanese funerals, wakes, or memorial services, go to http/en. Some of the rites seem pretty crazy. This is just an example of sites you could go to. I know this knowledge first hand so I can't really site my sources (so I don't get sued somehow).

A lot of people were wondering what my native language and country are. I'm from Tomakomai (By Sapparo on Hokkaido), Japan. But I currently live in Seattle, Usa for my job. I've been taking English since Jr. High so that's why I am able to write fan fiction in it.


	3. Chapter Two: The Wake

Author: Saya Gravitation (after the manga finishes)

Warnings: bad language, angst, shonen ai, later yaoi (Well it is Gravitation!)

Pairings: Eiri/Shuichi, Ryuichi/Tatsuha, Hiro/Suguru, Maiko/Class President Guy who doesn't have a name

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this they belong to Murakami Maki-san

Author's Note: Maiko-chan will be younger in this fan fic. (Thanks to ashcat for mentioning her age) English is not my native tongue. If there are errors people tell me and I will fix them. Thanks to my beta Asuka-chan! Please review!

Chapter Two: The Wake

A week after the death of Shuichi and Maiko's parents, the wake was held. Shuichi had anxiously been planning it (with much help from Maiko), as he was the eldest-and only- son. The funeral itself was scheduled for the next afternoon.

Shuichi and Maiko sat next to their parent's caskets dressed in black. Shuichi wore a black suit, tie, and white shirt and Maiko wore a short black dress that gave her a free range of motion with her broken limbs and crutches. "I just want these two days to end." Maiko whispered as she fiddled with her juzu.1

"I know. I want it to end too…" Shuichi replied softly. He was fiddling with a bracelet on his wrist.

"Quiet. Here come the guests. The priest will be here shortly." Their Aunt Kimiko chided.

The guests filed up to where Shuichi and Maiko stood. All handed one of them condolence money in a traditional black and silver decorated envelope. 2 Most were the Shindou's many close friends all come with their regards. "Your parents were wonderful people." One said.

"It's a shame that they couldn't live longer." Replied another.

"Their death was the will of Buddha."

"We'll miss them greatly."

"You two can come over any time if you need something."

The comments and regards were endless. Then they had to deal with their relatives on both sides of the family. "Maiko-chan can come stay with us." Offered an aunt.

"No, she'll stay with us!" argued another.

"Us!"

"No us!"

"Quiet!" Maiko finally interrupted, "I'm not staying with anybody but Hotaru-san until school starts up next week. Then I'm going to stay at school during the holidays or visit Shuichi!" she declared.

The aunts walked off in a huff leaving two annoyed Shindous behind to greet another swarm of relatives.

Finally all the people had come and where seated. It was a relief because Shuichi and Maiko were beginning to loose their temper. "Never again… Never!" Shuichi declared softly to his sister.

"When you die I refuse to invite this many people!" Maiko proclaimed.

"You'll get hoards of Bad Luck fan girls. I don't think you'll get your wish Maiko-chan." Shuichi teased. 3

"Curse you famous people!" Maiko muttered.

When the priest showed up, he talked to Shuichi and Maiko for a good half an hour. "I am greatly grieved by your loss." The priest said solemnly, "Their souls will be reborn and they shall live together forever."

"Thank you very much." Shuichi replied with a forced smile.

"We appreciate your kind and thoughtful words." Maiko added, a forced smile also on her face.

The priest continued to talk to them about things they didn't care about at the moment such as fees, his parent's souls, etc.

The wake began. The priest began to chant a sutra. Shuichi helped Maiko up to where the caskets were. They both lit incense and stuck it in the urns in front of the caskets, lost in their thoughts.

'Why did they have to die?' Maiko thought. 'Why didn't I die too? I should have died. The cost of continuing living is more then paid by their deaths! But shouldn't I have to pay for their deaths? Shouldn't I have to pay something? Not them. They have paid all of their lives to take care of Shuichi and me. They deserve to live a long life and grow old together. Why me? Why us?' Tears began to fill her eyes and she struggled to keep them from falling. It was pointless. The tears fell, cascading down her cheeks to land on the urn filled with incense.

Next to her, Shuichi was brooding as well. 'Why did you have to die? I can't take care of Maiko-chan properly. I can't even take care of myself. Yuki has to do that for me. I'm just an idiot that needs caring for. How am I supposed to care for myself and Maiko? It's not possible! She'll be happier living at school with her friends then by herself. Yuki would have a fit if I she came and lived with us. We already had Tatsuha when he was looking for an apartment and that was hell. Maiko-chan is a rabid Yuki fan and that would make things even worse!' he thought.

Noticing that his sister was crying, Shuichi took her hand and squeezed it. "We'll be alright Maiko." He whispered.

"Why did they have to die! Why did they have to leave us?" Maiko cried softly, "I'm just a kid and so are you. We can't take care of ourselves."

"Yes we can. We can prove it to ourselves and everyone else that we're not helpless little kids. So don't cry Maiko-chan. I'm sure we're going to be all right!" 4 Shuichi promised.

"O-ok." Shuichi wiped the tears from her eyes with the hand that wasn't holding Maiko's. "We're gonna be fine. I promise." He swore. "Now let's get this wake over with."

After the priest had left, people continued to pay their respects. Shuichi and Maiko handed of the small presents of thanks from them 5 and thanked them for coming. Hiro walked up to them and handed Maiko a bouquet of pinkish peach roses6 and kissed her hand. "I'm here to make sure Shuichi takes care of you right." The guitarist declared with a sweet smile.

"Shuichi will take good care of me. He promised." Maiko informed enthusiastically.

"Good for you Shuichi." Hiro said. Shuichi nodded in reply. "Oh, by the way. Seguchi-san has given Bad Luck a break until next week. K-san and Suguru wanted me to tell you." Hiro added, "They say they're sorry for your loss and wish they could be here to tell you."

"Thanks Hiro." Shuichi replied with a sad smile.

That night, Shuichi and Maiko had to stay up with their parents. With them was their mom's sister Yuka and their father's brother Takeshi. It was probably the longest night any of them had ever endured before. Around midnight, Maiko fell asleep on Shuichi, who soon joined her. Yuka stayed up talking to her sister and saying that their other sister Miyaka couldn't be there because she had gotten a very bad case of the flu and couldn't even get out of bed.

Takeshi was reminiscing about years past when he and his brother had been little. How he wished those days had never ended. Now his only brother was dead and had left two children behind. One was just barely an adult and the other was close. But they were still children. 'Why did the gods take you away from them? They need you still. Shuichi-kun is a dysfunctional, gay…. Idiot! And Maiko-chan is injured and is in college. She probably is going through the problems that everyone goes through in college and her brother can't help because he couldn't even make it into a University and is a nationwide pop star!' Takeshi's thoughts paused for a second as he looked over at his niece and nephew.

The two were curled up together, fast asleep. Yuka had draped a blanket over them after Shuichi had fallen asleep. Both appeared to be restless and having bad dreams. Not that Takeshi could blame them. Maiko had watched her parents die in front of her and Shuichi always had had a vivid imagination.

'The poor things are going to grow up into horrible people!' Takeshi continued to think, 'Shuichi already is. He has a…boy friend…they've been all over the tabloids. He's a twisted, pervert! How could my own brother let his son get away with that! It's outrageous!'

After venting his feelings, Takeshi fell asleep sitting against the wall. Yuka was still paying her respects. Sleep embraced him and dreams came.

Yuka woke Shuichi up so he could pay his respects. "I'll watch Maiko-san." She whispered when the pink haired vocalist started to object.

"Thank you Aunt Yuka." Shuichi whispered back. He walked over to the open caskets and sat down.

Not being able to think of anything but 'I'll miss you.' Shuichi's mind wandered to Bad Luck. 'I should probably be making up lyrics. We have to finish three singles by the end of the month…' But nothing came to him. Memories of his talk with Eiri kept flashing through his head.

Flashback

Eiri was snapped out of his musings by Shuichi's voice. "What are you thinking about? You look sad." The pink haired singer asked.

"Nothing… Just thinking." Eiri replied. Masking his emotions with his icy façade, Eiri smiled slightly at his lover.

"You're lying." Shuichi stated bluntly.

"I'm avoiding the topic. Not lying. I was thinking anyway." Eiri responded quickly.

Shuichi sighed. "That's not the point. You were thinking of something sad. What was it? Kitzawa? Seguchi? Your father?" he guessed.

Eiri flinched at the last guess. "No…" he said softly… No one specifically."

End Flashback

'I know he was thinking about someone.' Shuichi mused. 'I wish he would tell me. Maybe if he talked he wouldn't have to take so much Prozac… I wish I could help…' He pondered about who the person Eiri was thinking about. 'It wasn't Seguchi, Kitzawa, or his father. And he had said that Hiro had told him about mom and dad… Maybe he was thinking about Mika-san or Tatsuha-kun! Since I was thinking about my parents Eiri could have started thinking about his family.'

Shuichi completely glossed over the fact that Eiri must have a mom. That was a topic that had never come up between them. The idea of it never even dawned upon Shuichi. So the singer continued to think.

'So it probably was Mika-san or Tatsuha-kun. I'll ask him tomorrow night! I hope he doesn't get mad and kick me out. I don't really want to be kick out when I'm sad. Maybe I'll bring him some of that strawberry cake he likes so much. That would probably make him forget about kicking me out.' Shuichi continued to plot.

His thinking was interrupted by a frightened cry. Shuichi head jerk to look at where Maiko was sleeping. Yuka was trying to wake the dreaming teen but was getting nowhere. In an instant, Shuichi was at his sister's side. "Maiko! Wake up. It's just a dream!" he said as he shook her.

"Maiko-san. Wake up." Yuka urged.

"Maiko! Maiko!" Shuichi shook her harder.

Finally Maiko jerked awake. Tears were streaming down her face and her breathing was erratic. "No!" she cried.

"Maiko. It was all a dream, a nightmare." Shuichi said. He pulled his sister into a hug.

"No… it wasn't a dream. It happened. It happened. They're not coming back. It's not a dream. If it was a dream they would come back." Maiko ranted.

"Who Maiko-chan? Who won't come back?" Shuichi questioned.

"M-mom a-and d-dad."

Shuichi breathed in sharply. "What were you dreaming about?" he finally asked after a long pause.

"The crash. Oh the crash! There was so much blood and mom was screaming." Maiko sobbed, "The guy who hit us was staring right at me… His eyes…his eyes…"

"What Maiko?"

"They just stared. Dead, blank eyes staring at me. I couldn't move. I was pinned to the seat. It hurt so bad. I could feel blood on me but I couldn't wipe it away. It felt like I was paralyzed. I was so scared… I couldn't scream for help or to tell mom that I was alive.

She kept screaming my name. Dad was already gone…" Maiko let out a strangled sob, "She wanted to know if I was ok. But I couldn't even breathe let alone talk. I wanted to tell her so bad. But I couldn't. She probably died thinking I was gone too. It's all my fault! They would still be here if they hadn't picked me up to take me out to breakfast. They'd still be here!"

Shuichi was in shock. He kept trying to absorb what his sister was saying but was unable to comprehend it fully. "Maiko-san. It's not your fault. It was the driver who hit you." Yuka explained softly. "None of it was your fault. The man killed your parents and died because of it. He was drunk and apparently on drugs. It was his fault for getting in a car when he could hurt some one, let alone kill two and injure another. No one blames you for it…" Yuka ran her fingers through Maiko's hair. " No one at all."

"Maiko…Aunt Yuka is right. It was that bastard's fault! He was so stupid, driving when he was high! None of it is your fault. Plus mom and dad are in peace now. They'll be with each other forever and ever. They'd want us to be happy. Not to blame ourselves for their deaths." Shuichi added.

"We should remember them for what they have done for us and for the peace they have achieved. An eternal life." Yuka added, comforting Maiko with her Christian beliefs.

"I know! I know! But I can't forget. The screams…the blood…those eyes. They haunt me every night. They'll be there for all eternity and I'll never be able to forget no matter how much I want to!" Maiko cried.

Her last sentence almost broke Shuichi's heart. "Maiko… We can help you forget, to be able to get through it. I'll get you someone to talk to if you don't want to talk to me. I promised you that we would make it through life and I intend to keep my promise." Shuichi stated, "You won't be haunted by those dreams forever. You won't."

In the corner, Takeshi watched Shuichi encourage his sister. 'Maybe the kid isn't a total idiot.' He thought before going back to sleep.

TBC

(As usual after 3 reviews)

1 juzu: Buddhist prayer beads that are similar to Catholic rosaries.

2 A guest will bring condolence money in a special black and silver decorated envelope. Depending on the relation to the deceased and the wealth of the guest, this may be between $30 and $300 (3000 to 30,000 yen).

3 Shuichi was just joking. Only close friends and relatives are allowed at a wake and funeral.

4 If you read the Cardcaptor Sakura manga you'll probably recognize this line.

5 Each departing guest is given a gift, which is valued at half or one quarter of money received from the guest.

Author's Note: I hope you could tell that Takeshi-san didn't like Shuichi very much. Most Japanese people do not like gay people, just like in America.

Thank you to Ashley-chan your her wonderful cultural questions. They really made me think.

Also thanks to Jenna, Ashcat, DemonicDragon666, Sakuma Sonnet, Yuri Yuki, December Jewel, Anonymous bluesilver, I love athrun, Kishi-kun, Scarlet, Gail, Morvena, Kiwi, Anon y mouse, and Mimi for reviewing as well.

Questions are welcome!

If you want to learn more about Japanese wakes, funerals, etc. Go to the site mentioned in the last chapter or 


	4. Interlude

Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation

MINI STORY/ STORY NOTE

Saya: bounces up I won't be able to write the next chapter for a while.

Shuichi: Why not?

Eiri: Yah author lady, why not?

Saya: Because my Internet is down! It won't be up until the end of November or the beginning of December. sob

Eiri: Figures. Everything bad that could happen to you does happen.

Saya: It's not my fault. I'm changing Internet providers from the one I used in Japan to an American one (Comcast). Plus I work in engineering so I don't use a computer at work.

Shuichi: confused Then how did you manage to post this?

Eiri: She used someone else's computer you dumb ass.

Saya: That's right. Well about the borrowing part… I used the neighbor girl (Sen-chan)'s laptop to post this. (Thank you Sen-chan! You're a lifesaver)

Shuichi: Oh.

Saya: And I might use one of the computers at the public library just as soon as I can figure out how to transfer my Mac ™ files to a USB drive of a floppy disk… My computer only takes CD ROMs and I don't have any.

Eiri: You'll figure something out. I don't care about the stupid story anyway.

Saya: You should! I'm going to make it alllllllll angsty and have Shuichi act all strange. If you don't care then I'll make it worse and make _you _have problems too. Maybe even have Shuichi die. And you wouldn't want that now would you?

Eiri: blushes and mumbles something incoherent. Then quickly I don't care. Really!

_Shuichi and Eiri leave arguing. Saya sits in her swivel chair, spinning around. _

Saya: So there you have it. I am officially mourning the loss of my Internet connection. I should be back no later then December 5th (2005). Please send me more ideas via email.(I'm at and that's my msn messenger "screen name" or talk to me on AIM under yamisayakitsune . ) Thanks to the people who sent me ideas already. I will most likely use them all. It gives me major inspiration.

Also thank you to the avid reviewers on Gurabite who don't want me to disappear into the wide expanse we call the net. That makes me feel special that I'd be missed. I'm not saying that you guys on don't love me, but I haven't gotten any reviews saying that I'll be missed…

_Shuichi pops up. _

Shuichi: Saya-san wants to thank Sen-chan for the use of her computer and the kitchen. It was much needed. Saya-san said she would do anything to pay you back Sen-san. And now I go! Back to playing in Bad Luck! Sayonara!

END OF NOTE

Sorry for all this inconvince. If you're wondering why this notice is in story format, deleted my original notice because it did not follow their site guidelines. Also my Internet crashed and I needed to inform the world that I would be gone for a few weeks.

I'm putting up another story (Rings and Roses) on Gurabite and Please review! Plus I'm going to add a remake of an old Yugioh story of mine on my sutoretera account on (http/ I might add a yaoi/shonen ai version on my yamiKitsune account it for updates!

Happy Thanksgiving!

(November 22, 2005)


	5. Chapter Three: Thoughts and Funerals

**Warnings:** READ THESE Yaoi. That means boys having sex together. If you don't like it then why are you reading chapter three of a yaoi/shonen ai story? (Unless you're crazy) There's some Hiro/Suguru fluff in the first part of the chapter then Shuichi angst in the rest.

This chapter contains dead people. If you don't like dead people or funerals or cremation then I don't suggest reading this chapter.

Lots of Shuichi angst and slight suicide references.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gravitation. If I did, Ryu-chan and Tatsuha would be a couple and so would Hiro and Suguru.

**Pairings: **Eiri/Shuichi, Hiro/Suguru, Ryuichi/Tatsuha, Maiko/class president guy from volume 1-2 of the manga… I don't think he has a name…

**Author's Note: **My beta quit. If you think it sucks unbetaed, tell me. If you think it's good without a beta tell me as well. (Input is good. As is constructive criticism) My English is not the best at times so forgive me. Sorry it took so long to update. My Internet was down. (It felt like the end of the world) Then I was very dick for a week and a half.

EMAIL ME if you have questions or just want to chat. I'm on msn messenger and aim a lot because my office is lazy and we communicate via messenger or aim. (What a pathetic bunch we are) There's a cultural note at the bottom.

_Chapter Three: Thoughts and Funerals_

Hiro lay on his couch, head in Suguru's lap. He sighed. "Shuichi's taking this hard." He said randomly.

"You and I both would if our parents died." Suguru commented, "I think it's normal. Shuichi-san always is very emotional. I think he doesn't know how to show his loss emotionally. So he's acting different." His red head lover smiled.

"You're quite the psychologist Suguru." He commented. Placing his hand on the back on the younger teen's neck, Hiro pulled Suguru down so he could kiss him.

When Hiro ran his tongue over the keyboardist's lips, they opened submissively allowing Hiro to ravish his lover's mouth. Suguru moaned and slipped his legs from under Hiro so he could press their bodies closer.

They broke the kiss and Suguru lay on top on Hiro. "I'm glad we get this break. Even though it's for a sad reason." The former remarked, "We've been overworked lately and I'm tired." As if to support his statement, Suguru yawned.

That made Hiro laugh. "I have to agree with you. K-san does overwork us. But we have been slacking off a bit with our single. Shuichi hasn't gotten shot at enough yet. I think his average is 7 times a day."

This statement was accurate. Shuichi had been slacking off on writing lyrics for their single. The only way that K knew how to fix that was to shoot at him with his magnum. Hiro and Suguru made a game out of it. See how many times a day Shuichi gets shot in a week and if the singer beat his previous week's record, Hiro and Suguru got to have some fun… So far the game's high score was 49 times in a week that K had to chase his vocalist around threatening him and waving his gun around while Hiro and Suguru watched, grinning.

Both of the lover's minds wandered. Suguru was drifting off to sleep, resting on Hiro's chest and Hiro was thinking about Shuichi. None of the guitarist's relatives had died recently so he did not know what it was like to spend the night at a funeral home with your parent's bodies. The thought alone made him shudder. That would be one thing that he did not wish to experience so early in life.

"Hiro?" Suguru mumbled, "Something wrong? You shivered."

One thing that Hiro loved about Suguru was the teen's ability to read people's emotions. He could always tell when something was wrong with Hiro.

"Not really. I was just thinking about Shuichi." Hiro replied. He ran his fingers through Suguru's evergreen tresses, playing with each strand. Doing it had an oddly calming effect on both of them.

At the funeral home, people began to arrive again, returning to their seats. As the funeral was much like the wake, Shuichi and Maiko rang the makeshift alter bell and burned three sticks of incense, bowing three times. The guests did so as well after the rest of the family.

The priest presented the deceased with the new names they would be called in the afterlife and then began the sutra. Maiko sat silently crying and wringing her skirt while Shuichi stared straight ahead, trying not to cry along with his sister. Every second was being etched into both of their memories.

Before they knew it, the funeral was over and everyone stood while the casket was moved into the hearse. The guests were bid goodbye and Yuka then drove Shuichi and Maiko to the crematorium behind the hearse.

Once there, the watched the caskets be slipped through the opening. The bodies would be burned to ashes. "You may come back this afternoon or tomorrow." The attendant told them as he locked the opening shut.

"We'll come this afternoon." Shuichi replied. He took the key and slipped it in his pocket. Turning, he motioned to Maiko. "I'll take you back to me and Yuki's."

Maiko nodded and followed him back to Yuka's car. "Oniichan. What's going to happen now?" she asked.

"Now as in right now or now as in the future?" Shuichi asked as they walked across the parking lot, "Well, you're going to continue at university and I'm going to work."

"But are things going to change? I mean for me and you?" Maiko elaborated.

Shuichi paused, thinking. "Not much. We won't be able to go the house once a month for dinner and we're going to have to sell the house. But other then that and wearing black for 49 days, nothing is going to change."

"How are we going to sell a house?"

"I have no clue. But we have to get rid of all the stuff first. I'll ask K-san about the selling part. Maybe one of his gun-toting friends is a real-estate agent."

"I can also ask around Shuichi-kun," Yuka interrupted, "I think one of my co-worker's spouses might sell houses."

"Thank you Aunt Yuka." Shuichi responded with a tired smile, "That would help a lot."

"I might be able to help you clean out the house as well. To figure out what to sell, toss, or keep. You can keep the things you want in storage since I doubt that Maiko-chan has room."

Maiko smiled tiredly as well. "No, I don't. And neither does onnichan."

"I could probably beg Yuki and I could put it in the office or under the bed. But no, I don't have room. Storage is s a good idea though."

The next few minutes were silent. Yuka stopped in front of Shuichi and Yuki's apartment complex. "Call if you need a ride this afternoon," she said, "It would be my pleasure to get to know you two better."

"Thank you, Aunt Yuka, but I think we'll be able to manage. I'll call you about cleaning the house out though. I don't think that Maiko-chan and I can do that by ourselves."

"Alright. But call if you need anything. Sayonara." Yuka pulled away from the curb and drove off. Shuichi turned toward the apartment complex.

Rain began to pour down as the siblings walked inside and waited for the elevator. When it came they rode it to the top floor. "Why are you on the top floor niichan?" Maiko questioned, "And do you live with Yuki-sama?"

Shuichi smiled slightly, "Yes I do live with Yuki and he likes living on the top floor."

He escorted her out of the elevator and unlocked the apartment door. "Do you want anything?" he asked.

"D-do you have tea?" Maiko asked as she sat down on the couch, her body shaking.

"Yah." Shuichi went and prepared (with out explosions or disaster) two mugs of tea then walked back to where Maiko was on the couch and sat next to her. He set the mugs down on the table when he saw the look on his sister's face. "Niichan, I didn't want them to die! I should have died too!" Maiko cried.

She buried her face in her brother's chest and began to sob. Shuichi looked uncomfortable for a moment but then he sighed and hugged her. "Maiko. One thing I'm sure about is that is wasn't your time to die. It was mom and dads. For some reason the gods wanted this to happen. There's a reason for everything and we just don't know the reason why they died." Shuichi explained, "But your name was not in the Kiseki 1. That is one thing I know."

"…I know… But it still…" Maiko managed to say through her tears.

"You have to believe that it's not your fault Maiko-chan." Shuichi ran his fingers through his sister's hair as he hugged her close. He paused for moment, letting his words sink, before speaking again. "But just cry now."

Over the next half an hour, Maiko cried her eyes and her aching heart out and Shuichi sat with her, trying to be the best big brother he could be. Finally Maiko cried herself to sleep. She then slept in her brother's lap, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. It was silent throughout the apartment.

The quiet was broken when Eiri stuck his head out of his office. He took one look at Maiko's sleeping form and Shuichi's distressed face, and walked over, sitting next to Shuichi. The singer sighed. "Sorry about that." He said softly, "I didn't expect her to break down again…" Then he sighed again.

Eiri kissed him softly. "It's alright. She acts just like Tatsuha. I'm used to it." He replied, soft enough so he wouldn't wake the sleeping teen. "I think you handled her well."

Shuichi smiled sadly, "Just as long as she doesn't see me cry… She'll be fine…" he whispered, tears streaming down his face.

Hours later, before Shuichi took Maiko back to the crematorium, they changed into regular black clothes. Maiko wore a black skirt and tank top and Shuichi in jeans and a t-shirt.

Once there, a new assistant opened the entrance and slip the ashes out. The siblings were given wooden chopsticks. Then the assistant put the ashes into the two urns that had been chosen and pointed out the fragments of bones that should be placed in the urn along with the ashes. Shuichi pulled out each fragment with his chopsticks and transferred it to Maiko's. She placed them into the urn. One of the last pieces was the Adam's apple, the most important piece, as it resembled the shape of Buddha, then the fragments of the skull. The attendant placed lids on each urn and wrapped them white cloth.

Maiko returned to the apartment she shared with a girl from her university and Shuichi returned home to Eiri. Both were exhausted physically and mentally…

TBC (After 3 reviews)

_Cultural Note:_

1 A book that lists the name of the dead. (It's mentioned in Yami no Matsuei. Decedents of Darkness)

_Japanese_

Oniichan/niichan- older brother

Sayonara- formal way of saying "good bye"

_Author's Note: _The next chapter might take a bit. I'm kind of lost as to where the plot should go… Thanks to all reviewers!

I've been working on another Gravitation story "Goodbye for now" and I know where that's going to go plot wise, so I might focus on that for a bit. I won't discontinue Tears Like Rain. It'll just be updated a bit less.


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